Antivibratory device applicable to the steering wheels of vehicles



Jan. 15, 1929. I 1,699,192

M. HOUDAILLE ANTIVIBRATORY DEVICE APPL ICABLE TO THE STEERING WHEELS 0F VEHICLES Filed April 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 15, 1929. 1,699,192

M. HOUDAILLE ANTIVIBRATORY DEVICE APPLICABLE TO THE STEERING WHEELS OF VEHICLES Filed April 7, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 a A K 19i? a F1967. W

777. HoudaM/e wve/vmR Jan. 15, 1929. 1,699,192

M. HOUDAILLE ANTIVIBRATORY DEVICE APPLICABLE TO THE STEERING WHEELS OF VEHICLES Filed April 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 772 HoudaLl/e INVENTOR Patented Jan. 15,1 29.

"- UNITED STATES- PATEN I f- OFFlCE;

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Application filed April- 7, 1926, Serial No. 100,414, and in France April 18, 1925.

tigue to the driver, and even'an inflammation of'the hands after a long journey.

The anti-vibratory device formlng the subject-matter of the present invention allows a of remedying this inconvenience and essen 'tially consists in rendering supple the steering wheels of vehicles. particularly of motor cars, by connecting the rim of the steering wheel to the steering pillariby resilient means allowing the rim of the steering Wheel to resiliently move relatively to the steering pillar, either by rotation about the axis of this pillar, or by rotation about axes at right angles to the latter, or by translations parallel or at right angles to this steering p1lla'r,,or again according to a combination of these movements. Several forms of construction of this device are illustrated, by Way of example only, in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a first form of construction and Fig.2 is'a side view of Fig. 1;

1 Figs. 3 to 7 illustrate in plan view other forms of construction.

It a study is made of the causes of the trepi dations felt by the hands of a driver of motor vehicle and transmltted by the steering wheel, it isxnoted that these oscillations or trepidations mainly occur in a plane at right angles to the steering pillar, some secondary oscillations occurring parallel to this pillar. 0

In fact the main causes of these trepidations are the following:

the resiliency of the springs of the cushion.

This displacement of the body is approximately an arc'ofa circle, the feet of the driver, resting on the pedals, forming the axis of this arc;

3) 'The'shocks transmitted to the steering wheel by the sudden displacements of the front wheels; these shocks give rise to a comabutment preventing a too large '(Fig. 7, form of construction A). ".r The form of construction B of modification of the form A. Abutments f, g

'ponent in rotation, therefore at right angles to the steering pillar and to axial component parallel to the latter.

Consequently, it seems more advantageous to give to the steering wheel a degree-of free dom at right angles to the pillar of the-steering wheel, this freedom being of course limited for permitting nevertheless the control ofthe steering gear. However, the instruction of this type and extends to those vention is not limited to the forms. of congiving to the rim of the steering wheel all g I the other. degrees of resilient freedom, in combination or not with the preceding one.

In the example of Figs. 1 and 2, the rim a of the steering wh eel'is connect-ed to the steerlng pillar b by arms 0 constituted by one or -more flexible blades allowing therim'a to resilientlyrock by rotation about the pillar b. VVhen'the rim 4: is acted upon for actuating the steerlng mechanism, the arms a first become distorted to a slight extent, then permit the actuation of the steering pillar.

I In the examples of Figs. 3 to 6, the rim has, besides, the degree of freedom previouslyset forth, the possibility of being subjected to resilient translations. relatively to the steering pillar and parallel to the latter, and even rotations the axis of which are at right angles to this pillar. For that purpose, the arms 0 are so constituted that a portion is distortable at right angles to the steering pillar and the other portion arallelto the latter.

vThe shapeto be given to these arms can vary, as well as the construction, for'ensur inga very largenumber oiforms of execution/ The armscan' be secured on the skeleton frame of the rim, and on the hub, by any means. They can be made in one or several pieces and constituted in difierent manners: bent or curved sheet-iron plates, forged or stamped steelmembers, springs of suitable profile. Y

They can as d for instance, moving in a groove 6 larger a. positive than itswidth for constituting1 'splacement Fig. 7 1s a r form a part of the skeletonframe of the steering wheel itself; this skeleton constituted by two lugs each carrying an adjusting screw, allow to exactly determine the displacement of the rigid arm in accordance flexibility of one or more arms of'the steering wheel, by locking of these arms by means of the screws i, is, for instance. A supple or a rigid steering wheel is thus obtained.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a steering Wheel for Vehicles, a wheel rim, elastic arms rigidly connected to the rim and the hub and arranged so that they can be deformed in a plane perpendicular to the geometric axis of the hub and in a plane passing through said axis.

2. In a steering wheel for vehicles, a wheel rim, a hub, elastic arms arranged between the rim and the hub and adapted to be deformed in a plane which passes through the geometric 3. In a steering wheel for vehicles, a wheel rim, a hub, a plurality of elastic arms arranged between the hub and the rim and each ing of a plurality of blades arranged in laminated form and ositioned so that the elastic deformation ta es. place at the same time in a plane passing through the geometric axis of the hub and in aplane perpendicular to saidaxis, and means for rigidly fixing the ends of said laminated blades forming the arms to the wheel rim and to the hub.

5. In a steering wheel for vehicles in combination, a rim, a hub, a plurality of elastic arms not liable to lengthen to a substantial extent and rigidly connected to the rim and the hub and arranged so that they can be deformed in a plane perpendicularto the geometric axis ofthe hub.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

MAURICE HOUDAILLE.- 

